1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the reduction of agglomeration amongst granular food particles. It is carried out by combining one or more granular foods with one or more novel flow agents that do not adversely impact the granular food or, alternatively, a food product produced therefrom. The invention facilitates the transport, storage, and processing of granular foods.
2. Related Background Art
The edible food product industry is a vital part of any modem economy. Although there is a wide variance in the industry, most edible food product producers receive different components of the edible food products at one or more locations where these components are combined and/or transformed into the edible food products. Further, different components may be combined at different locations and then sent to one location where a final edible food product is prepared and/or packaged for distribution.
Due to the increasing international nature of the world economy, these food components may arrive from points all over the world. Further, the components can be transported in many ways. For example, the components may arrive by rail, road, water, and even air. Additionally, the components can arrive packaged in many different ways. The packaging forms may include boxes, bags, and bulk tanks found on water vessels, train cars, and trucks. Lastly, the components themselves can be in liquid form, dry form, and forms in between. Dry forms continue to constitute a large portion of shipped food components.
In many instances, dry foods can pose numerous problems. Since most dry foods are at least partially soluble in water, many tend to “clump” or agglomerate during shipping, storage, and/or processing. Agglomeration can be severe enough to form agglomerates that are pea, golf ball, softball, basketball, and even larger in size. Worse yet, the agglomerates may adhere to the sides of their container immobilizing at least part, if not all, of the container's contents. Further, the agglomerates can be as soft as packed sand or as hard as a rock.
It is believed that most agglomeration can be attributed to temperature, moisture, and/or overburden pressure encountered by the food particles during transportation and/or storage. Heat can soften some food particles making them more susceptible to agglomeration. Moisture can cause the surfaces of some particles, e.g. sugar, to become tacky such that particle agglomeration occurs. Temperature and/or humidity cycling may exacerbate sugar clumping since, as moisture evaporates, it leaves behind sugar bridges; and, each successive cycle may act to strengthen already formed bridges making clumps more difficult to break. Smaller sugar particles tend toward severe sugar bridging problems due to their larger surface area per unit mass. More surface area translates into more potential sugar bridge anchoring points. Over burden pressure resulting from particles being stored, especially in large quantities, can cause compaction and therefore agglomeration, particularly amongst particles lower or deeper in the storage containers. Any one or a combination of the above identified factors can lead to agglomeration of food particles.
While the industry has attempted to address these factors, many purported solutions have proven ineffective, impractical, unsuitable, and/or costly. For example, it is well-known that starch is used as an anti-clumping agent in confectioner's sugar; however, certain confectionery processes will not readily dissolve starch since some starch requires heat and sufficient moisture to go into solution. Further, disassociated starch may not be a desirable ingredient to use in specific confectionery recipes and manufacturing processes. Other known anti-caking agents include calcium phosphate, calcium silicate, microcrystalline cellulose, magnesium carbonate, magnesium silicate, magnesium stearate, silicon dioxide, and sodium silicoaluminate. However, these agents may also be unsuitable for the manufacture of some foods including confectionery foods particularly in their free or disassociated forms.
Bulk storage containers, including bulk bags and other containers, individually or those on railcars, trucks, water vessels, and air vessels are a common mode of transport and storage for bulk food. Although some may be designed to be airtight upon closure, many often are not or do not continue to be airtight, especially after repeated loading and unloading of the bulk foods. Some bulk containers are designed to permit forced airflow throughout the interior. The air is intended to “fluff” the particles and minimize agglomeration by reducing over burden pressure as well as inter-particle contact. However, aerated bulk tanks can be costly, as well as deleterious to particle agglomeration. The air may be a source of humidity, and, as previously discussed, may contribute to particle agglomeration. Further, air dessication means can be cost prohibitive and complex, especially when properly maintained.
If agglomeration is not inhibited, a myriad of problems can result. Transport and storage containers or packages may be difficult, if not impossible, to load and unload. This may lead to the inability to load at the plant or the inability to unload at a delivery point. Rejection of all or part of a shipment can result. In turn, rejection of a shipment may lead to production delays if not an outright cessation of production activities.
Even if the granular food and its agglomerates can be loaded or unloaded in their entirety, processing problems can occur downstream. For example, the agglomerates may be difficult to combine with, or dissolve in, other food product components also leading to a delay or cessation of production activities. Other problems are well-known to dry foods handlers.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a simple, effective, and cost conscious way to reduce the agglomeration of granular foods.